Almond friands

Ingredients:

• 150g/5oz butter
• 75g/3oz flaked almonds
• 50g/2oz plain flour
• 175g/6oz icing sugar, plus extra,
• to dust
• 5 egg whites

• Preheat the oven to 210°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Lightly grease ten 125ml/4fl oz friand tins.

• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat, then cook for 3–4 minutes until the butter turns a deep golden colour. Strain to remove any residue. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool until
just lukewarm.

• Put the flaked almonds in a blender or food processor, and chop until finely ground. Transfer to a b owl, and sift in the flour and icing sugar.

• Put the egg whites in a separate bowl, and lightly whisk with a fork until just combined. Add the lukewarm butter to the flour mixture along with the egg whites. Mix gently with a metal spoon until all the ingredients
are well combined.

• Spoon some mixture into each friand tin to fill to three-quarters of the way up the side. Put the tins on a baking tray, and bake in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/ Gas mark 4, and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove and leave in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Pear cream pie

Ingredients:

• For the shortcrust pastry
• 300g/11oz plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 175g/6oz butter, cubed
• 50ml/2fl oz iced water

For the filling

• 700g11⁄2lb pears
• 100g/4oz sugar
• 500ml/18fl oz double cream
• 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

• To make the shortcrust pastry, sift the flour and the salt together into alarge mixing bowl. Add the cubes of butter. Rub the butter and flour together with your fingertips until the mixture has a coarse texture.

• Stirring lightly with a knife, sprinkle water over the dough until it just begins to cohere. Gather the dough together into a ball, pressing it together with your hands. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

• Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3mm/1⁄8in and use two-thirds of it to line a 23cm/9in pie dish.

• To make the filling, peel, core and slice the pears. Mix the pear sliceswith the sugar and cream, and add the pepper. Fill the pie with this mixture, and cover with the remaining dough. Glaze with the egg yolk, and cut a small slit in the top so the steam can escape during cooking.

• Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes or until the top is browned. Serve warm or cold.

Cherry clafoutis

Ingredients:

• 25g/1oz butter, melted
• 400g/1lb fresh cherries, pitted
• 50g/2oz plain flour
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 250ml/9fl oz milk
• icing sugar, to dust

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Brush a 23cm/9in glass or ceramic pie plate with melted butter.

• Spread the cherries on the bottom of the pie plate in a single layer.

• Sift the flour into a bowl, add the sugar and make a well in the centre. Gradually add the combined eggs, milk and butter, whisking until smooth and free of lumps.

• Pour the batter over the cherries, and bake for 30–35 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust generously with icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Raspberry buns

Ingredients:

• 175g/6oz plain white flour
• pinch of salt
• 50g/2oz butter
• 50g/2oz caster sugar, plus extra,
• to dust
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 1 tablespoon raspberry jam
• melted butter for brushing

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Grease a baking tray.

• Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Rub the butter into the flour, then add the sugar and baking powder. Whisk the egg and add the milk. Mix with the dry ingredients to form a stiffish dough. Divide the dough into
10 equal portions, and roll into balls.

• Lay the balls of dough on the greased baking tray, and make a hole in the top of each using your thumb. Fill with a small quantity of raspberry jam, and pinch the dough together again. Flatten the buns slightly, brush
with melted butter and dust with sugar. Bake for about 15 minutes until the tops of the buns crack open slightly to reveal the jam.

Citrus tart

Ingredients:

• For the pastry
• 175g/6oz plain flour
• 75g/3oz butter
• 3 tablespoons caster sugar
• 3 egg yolks

For the filling

• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 3 lemons
• juice of 1 orange
• 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 350ml/12fl oz double cream
• 175g/6oz caster sugar

• To make the pastry, sift the flour into a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre and put the butter, sugar and egg yolks in it. Work with the fingertips of one hand until these are blended, then gradually work in
the flour. Continue mixing until the pastry forms a smooth ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5. Grease a 28cm/11in flan dish.

• Roll out the pastry and use to line the tin. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork, and line with foil. Fill with baking beans and bake blind for 15–20 minutes until just brown. Remove from the oven to cool, and reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.

• To make the filling, put the lemon zest in a large bowl with the lemon and orange juice. Add the eggs and yolk, cream and sugar. Whisk the mixture together until the sugar has dissolved and the top is fluffy. Pour the filling into the pastry case and bake in the centre of the oven for 30–35 minutes until the filling is set. Serve warm or cold.

Chocolate meringue pie

Ingredients:

• 225g/8oz dark chocolate
• digestive biscuits
• 25g/1oz butter, melted

For the filling

• 3 egg yolks
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 50g/2oz cornflour
• 600ml/1pt milk
• 100g/4oz dark chocolate (at least
• 70% cocoa solids)
• For the meringue
• 2 egg whites
• 100g/4oz caster sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence

• Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.

• Put the digestive biscuits in a plastic bag, and crush with a rolling pin. Pour into a mixing bowl. Stir the butter into the biscuit crumbs until well mixed. Press the biscuit mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 23cm/9in flan tin or dish.

• To make the filling, beat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a large bowl until they form a smooth paste, adding a little of the milk if necessary. Heat the milk until almost boiling, then slowly pour into the
egg mixture, whisking well.

• Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook gently, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Remove from the heat. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk the melted chocolate
into the mixture in the saucepan. Pour the mixture into the digestive biscuit base.

• To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until standing in soft peaks. Gradually whisk in about two-thirds of the sugar until the mixture is thick and glossy. Fold in the remaining sugar and the vanilla essence. Spread the meringue over the filling.

• Bake the pie in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Bakewell tart

Ingredients:

• 225g/8oz ready-to-roll
• puff pastry
• 100g/4oz ground almonds
• 100g/4oz caster sugar
• 50g/2oz butter
• 3 eggs
• 1⁄4 teaspoon almond essence
• 4 tablespoons strawberry jam

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/Gas mark 6.

• Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface, and use to line a 900ml/11⁄2pt shallow dish.

• Beat the almonds with the sugar, butter, eggs and almond essence.

• Spread the pastry with an even layer of jam. Pour in the filling.

• Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Serve warm with cream.

Sticky plum tart

Ingredients:

• 100g/4oz plain flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 75g/3oz butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon chilled water
• 450g/1lb plums, halved, stoned
• and diced
• 25g/1oz caster sugar
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam

• Sift the flour into a blender or food processor, add the ground cinnamon, salt, butter and egg yolk. Process for 30 seconds or until evenly combined. Add the chilled water and process for a further 30 seconds. Knead together lightly, and roll out to a circle about 25.5cm/10in in diameter. Put on a baking tray and chill for 10–15 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.

• Prick the pastry all over with a fork. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown.

• Arrange the plums over the cooked pastry, and sprinkle with the sugar. Put back in the oven for 40–45 minutes until the plums are tender.

• To finish, melt the jam in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons water, bring to the boil and bubble for 1 minute. Brush or spoon over the warm tart to glaze.

Pain au chocolat

Ingredients:

• 450g/1lb strong plain flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried yeast
• 25g/1oz lard
• 1 egg, beaten lightly
• 225ml/8fl oz hand-hot water
• 175g/6oz butter, softened
• beaten egg, to seal and glaze
• 100g/4oz dark chocolate (at least
• 70% cocoa solids), broken into
• 12 squares

• Lightly grease a baking tray.

• Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, and stir in the yeast. Rub in the fat lard using your fingertips. Add the egg and enough of the water to form a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until elastic.

• Roll the dough out to form a rectangle measuring 38 x 20cm/15 x 8in. Divide the butter into three portions, and dot one portion over two-thirds of the rectangle, leaving a small border around the edge.

• Fold the rectangle into three by first folding the plain third of the dough over, then the other third. Seal the edges of the dough by pressing with a rolling pin. Give the dough a quarter turn. Re-roll and fold again, without butter, then wrap the dough and chill for 30 minutes.

• Repeat the buttering and folding outlined above twice more, chilling the dough each time. Re-roll and fold twice more without butter. Chill for a final 30 minutes.

• Roll the dough to a rectangle measuring 45 x 30cm/18 x 12in, trim and halve lengthways. Cut each half into 6 rectangles, and brush with beaten egg. Put a chocolate square at the end of each rectangle, and
roll up to form a sausage.

• Press the ends together and place, seam side up, on the baking tray. Cover and leave to rise for 40 minutes in a warm place.

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7.

• Brush the pastries with egg, and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.

Chocolate éclairs

Ingredients:

• 100g/4oz butter
• 100g/4oz plain flour, sifted
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 300ml/10fl oz double cream,
• whipped
• 150g/5oz dark chocolate
• (at least 70% cocoa solids),
• broken into pieces

 
• Preheat the oven to 210°C/425°F/Gas mark 7, and grease two baking trays.

• Combine the butter and 225ml/8fl oz water in a large heavy saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until the butter melts. Increase the heat, bring to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat.

• Add the flour to the saucepan all at once, and quickly beat into the buttery water using a wooden spoon. Return to the heat and continue beating until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball.
Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.

• Beat the mixture to release any remaining heat. Gradually add the egg,about 3 teaspoonfuls at a time. Beat well after each addition until all the egg has been added and the mixture is glossy. Spoon the mixture into a
piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm/5⁄8in plain nozzle.

• Sprinkle the baking trays lightly with water. Pipe 15cm/6in lengths onto the trays, leaving room for them to expand. Bake for 10–15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4, and bake
for a further 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

• Split each cooled éclair and remove any uncooked dough. Fill the centre with cream.

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Spread the melted chocolate over to the top of each éclair, in a line along the top. Allow to set, then serve.